The Book of the Dead, and What it Means to MeSUBMITTED BYBLFDATE02 - 11 - 2010

For my first Theory assignment, I will give a clarification of what sustainability is. It is an act that can be recreated, reproduced without bringing harm to the environmental system, or to a civilization. The reason this is an often misused is because there are no design principles that can be repeated ad nausea without being a detriment to either civilization or the environment. Sustainability simply does not exist in a built context. It is only through reinterpretation of the original concept and intent, and adapting to new technology that we might attend to reducing per capita consumption of materials, while caring for a thriving population.
The ancient Cultures had unique ways to control consumption and need in their civilizations. In Pharonic times, the evil Crocodile God Seph protected the Nile, The Heroic God Horus Protected the sky. In return for the respect of the inhabitants, The Nile brought silt and Rich farmland to the Nile. The sky was filled with clean air. However, in the past century, The Nile has been dammed up to produce power. As the water tables changed, Temples were damaged. Silt that brought life to the Nile stopped coming, and Crocodiles reduced in population so much that farmers could no longer hunt them. Factories down river now produce fertilizers for the farms, burning of byproducts and filling the nearby Nile with a repugnant smell. The absence of the Gods in the minds of the people has brought a terrible burden on the traditionally Egyptian way of life.
In the Temples of the Mediterranean, enormous structures of stone have been erected for temples and monuments. These enormous structures bring in the heat of the day, and radiate it at night, while cooling the space in the day. The enormous height of the space allows warm air to collect above and cool air to surround the occupants at night. These ancient temples required no electricity, no CFL's, no heat pumps. The simple organization of (then cheap) environmental materials created Oasis in the hot climates.
Photos
The God Horus Ready to Take Revenge
Great Stone Monuments that Cool the Air